Capsule reviews for Oct. 28

Gimme Danger

What it lacks in depth and context, this documentary about the punk band the Stooges compensates by capturing the eclectic spirit of its subject. The band had plenty of ups and downs during the 1970s but most notably helped launch the career of provocateur frontman Iggy Pop. Veteran director Jim Jarmusch (Only Lovers Left Alive) traces the history of the quartet and its influence through fresh interviews and archival footage, mixed with animation and other unique visual touches. But mostly he focuses on the music, using extensive concert footage to pay tribute to a sound that sometimes unfairly took a backseat to the outrageous stage antics. (Rated R, 108 minutes).

Tower

There’s plenty of contemporary resonance to this gripping documentary marking the 50th anniversary of the 1966 sniper shootings from the University of Texas tower. Mixing archival footage and interviews with rotoscope animation, director Keith Maitland re-creates the hot summer day in Austin during which 17 people were killed and dozens wounded in a random act of violence. Told from the perspective of survivors, rescuers and witnesses on the ground, the film is vivid and powerful without turning heavy-handed in making connections to the unfortunate prevalence of such attacks today. The visual gimmicks add a haunting layer to a well-researched chronicle that’s both insightful and poignant. (Not rated, 82 minutes).

The Windmill

The quaint Dutch countryside couldn’t possibly be the setting for a bloody slasher flick, right? Indeed it could, and this low-budget effort pretty much comes right off the assembly line. It follows a tour bus that breaks down on a remote highway, causing the displaced passengers to take up shelter in a ramshackle cabin. One by one, they’re visited by a sadistic demon that prompts hallucinations about past misdeeds. Some scattered moments of amusement are compromised by a lack of subtlety and surprise, and by genre clichés. If nothing else, as least the film produces a golden line of defiance: “This isn’t hell. This is Holland!” (Not rated, 85 minutes).